Health Insurance Network Types – PPO vs. HMO vs. EPO vs. POS
One of the most common questions we get at SimplyInsured is “What is the difference between an HMO and a PPO?” We’ve created a simple table to help understand. First – some definitions:
Network Type: A general label for the “level of restriction” of plan, and the level of coverage provided in-network and out-of-network. Common types include PPO, HMO, EPO, Network, POS, and Indemnity.
Cliff Notes version:
| More Restrictions | Fewer Restrictions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| HMO | EPO | POS PPO Indemnity | ||
Detailed version:
A few decades ago when health insurance was relatively new – these terms used to describe clear characteristics about how your plan would pay for doctor’s visits, preventive care, and out-of-network care. Unfortunately, in today’s world – the lines between plan types has been blurring, and it’s important to check the detailed plan terms to figure out what’s going on. We’ve created a “Cheat Sheet” that gives the major implications of each plan type:
| Network Type | In Network Restrictions |
Out Of Network Restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) |
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| Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) |
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| Point of Sale (POS) |
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| Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) |
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| Indemnity |
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*While POS and PPO plans do provide out of network coverage, these services are typically subject to higher deductibles and coinsurance rates, so we always recommend trying to stay in-network wherever possible.
If you have any further questions, use the live chat function on your quote to chat with our team of experts!
